Question

Add and simplify: x + 1/x^2 + 3/4x

Answer 1

@phi ?

Answer 2

can you use the equation editor, or at least use parens for this one ?

Answer 3

ok one sec

Answer 4

\[\frac{ x+1 }{ x^2 } + \frac{ 3 }{4x}\]

Answer 5

can you multiply the first fraction by 4/4 ?
and the 2nd fraction by x/x ?

Answer 6

ya uh...

\[\frac{ 4x+1 }{ 4x^2 } + \frac{ 3x }{ 4x^2 }\]

Answer 7

or is it +4

Answer 8

close. the first fraction, up top is (x+1)*4
you can then "distribute" the 4: 4 times the x and 4 times the 1
you get 4x+4
(not 4x+1)

after you fix that, you can add the tops, because the fractions have the same bottoms

Answer 9

ok then you get\[\frac{ 7x +4 }{ 8x^2 }\] right?

Answer 10

almost. when adding fractions with the same bottom... the sum has *the same* bottom. You don't do anything to the bottom... it stays 4x^2

Answer 11

ok yeah ok so it is 7x+4/4x^2?

Answer 12

if we had numbers
1/3 + 1/3 we would add the tops to get 1+1=2 and keep the same bottom
1/3 + 1/3 = 2/3
we use the same rule even if the bottom has letters

Answer 13

ok that makes sense. Thanks!